In the Shadow of Disgrace by David Hough

Publication date: 15 April 2013Format: Amazon Kindle(Please note: you don't need a Kindle reader to read this book - you can download it from Amazon onto your computer/ipad/iphone)

In the year 1789, Jeffrey St Vincent returns to his native Cornwall after being discharged from the Royal Navy in disgrace. While he is contemplating his options, his path crosses with Nell Tregrain, a young woman sailing from London to Penperran with her sick father. She is distrustful of men, but needs the help of someone who can handle her father’s boat. Jeffrey’s life becomes increasingly intertwined with Nell’s until they both find themselves caught up in grave danger. Can Jeffrey rescue the situation and wipe out the shadow of disgrace that hangs over him? Or will he and Nell fall foul of the harsh hand of eighteenth century law?

This book is part of the Historical Adventures in Cornwall series. Find out more about the other books:

What the readers say

"Not only is the story engaging and the book 'unputdownable', I also learned more about the history of the period. I highly recommend this book."

David's thoughts on In the Shadow of Disgrace

How would you describe this book? This is historical fiction and romance with a touch of adventure thrown in for good measure. The history and romance make up the main core of the story, but I wanted the key character to be the sort of man who would appeal to a woman because of his courage in action. So I threw in a measure of adventure.

Where did the idea for this book come from? One line of my Cornish ancestry goes back through the Vanson family. To the best of my knowledge, the name has now died out in Cornwall and I wanted to resurrect it in my writing. The late eminent historian, Dr A L Rowse (whose mother was born Annie Vanson) thought the name came from a French pronunciation of Vincent or St Vincent. So I latched onto that and this first Cornish novel tells the story of Jeffrey St Vincent. The character is totally fictitious but I aimed to make him the sort of person you would want to have listed in your family history; the sort of person about whom you could relate exciting tales.

Did the story end up where you thought it would when you started writing? No. I usually plan my novels fully in advance but this one took me off at a tangent when I was half way through it. I won’t reveal the ending, but will reveal that it is not what I originally planned. In the published version the two key characters end up in a place I never expected them to be. Where? Well, you will need to read the story to discover that.

Which character in this book did you enjoy writing the most? The key character, Jeffrey St Vincent. He’s a man who gets into trouble, but not because he’s bad. He gets into a fix because his luck has run out. Behind it all, he still believes in morality, but he has to bend the rules if he is to survive. Many good men have found themselves in such a dilemma.

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